When the 2011-2012 school year started, everyone was on fire for State. We were all looking forward to a football season full of incredible plays, close calls and phenomenal wins. Now, three games and two losses later, the fire has died out, replacing passionate team support with pessimism and anger. And frankly, many people are looking like fair weather fans at this point. Remember the New Orleans Saints fans who started cheering midway through their winning season? Well, many at State seem to have adopted that fickle team spirit attitude.
Football players have always said the crowd contributes to their game; there is an energy exchange between the team and the crowd, and if the crowd is giving zero energy and support to the team, the exchange is only one way. If State fans have no faith in the football players, why should they have faith in themselves?
The season started off well with a huge win against Memphis, and then everyone was a little downhearted after the narrow loss against Auburn. But after the Louisiana State University beat-down, cowbells were left on the street, and some said it was the quietest game they had ever attended. Nothing is more disrespectful than half the crowd leaving with just six minutes left in the game, yet that is what many State students decided to do.
True fans stand by their team, through hell or high water. School sports bring a sense of unity to the school; there is a common goal for all students, no matter their interests: Mississippi State should win. We must keep in mind that State is in the SEC West, the best division in the entire country. An SEC team has won the BCS championship game for the past five years. We are competing against the best of the best; so why should we give up hope? It sounds cliché, but it doesn’t matter if you win or lose; it’s how you play the game. Currently, we, as fans, aren’t playing the game so well. We have responsibilities as students and football fans to offer a support system to our team, to cheer for them and to pick them up when they are down.
We are not the ones playing out there on the field, so we do not know everything going on in a game. Dan Mullen should not have to justify himself or his coaching to students; we should trust him as a coach, just like his team trusts him. The football players do not sit around at home all day watching “Jersey Shore” and snacking on Doritos; they train and work really hard to perform their best and represent their school to the best of their abilities. They are putting forth loads of effort, and we reward them with complaints about plays, calls and losses.
To other schools, we must look like a bunch of 2 year olds; instead, we should present ourselves as a united front — unfaltering, unwavering and respectful. If we do so, it could psych other teams out. It could boost our team’s morale and performance. It could bring us together as a student body. And it could lead to a season of endless wins. So, come together and stand strong, no matter what the score board says. Hail State!
The Reflector editorial board is made up of opinion editor Wendy Morell, news editor Micah Green, news editor Megan McKeown, sports editor James Carskadon, life editor Kaitlin Mullins, photo editor Eric Evans, copy editors Rachel Burke and Mollie C. Reeves, online editor Matthew Witbeck, graphic designer Piper Reaves, managing editor Julia Pendley and Editor in Chief Hannah Rogers.